On　June　18th　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Roosevelt　reached　New　York。　All　the　way　up　the　harbor　from　Sandy　Hook；　he　was　escorted　by　a　vast　concourse　of　vessels；　large　and　small；　tugs；　steamboats；　and　battleships。　At　the　Narrows；　Fort　Wadsworth　greeted　him　with　the　Presidential　salute　of　twenty…one　guns。　The　revenue…cutter；　Androscoggin；　took　him　from　the　Kaiserin　Auguste　Victoria；　on　which　he　had　crossed　the　ocean；　and　landed　him　at　the　Battery。　There　an　immense　multitude　awaited　him。　Mayor　Gaynor　bade　him　welcome；　to　which　he　replied　briefly　in　affectionate　words　to　his　fellow　countrymen。　Then　began　a　triumphal　procession　up　Broadway；　and　up　Fifth　Avenue；　surpassing　any　other　which　New　York　had　seen。　No　other　person　in　America　had　ever　been　so　welcomed。　The　million　or　more　who　shouted　and　cheered　and　waved；　were　proud　of　him　because　of　his　great　reception　in　Europe；　but　they　admired　him　still　more　for　his　imperishable　work　at　home；　and　loved　him　most　of　all；　because　they　knew　him　as　their　friend　and　fellow；　Theodore　Roosevelt；　their　ideal　American。　A　group　of　Rough　Riders　and　two　regiments　of　Spanish　War　Veterans　formed　his　immediate　escort；　than　whom　none　could　have　pleased　him　better。
  His　head　was　not　turned；　but　his　heart　must　have　overflowed　with　gratitude。
  Later；　when　the　crowds　had　dispersed；　he　went　into　a　bookstore；　and　some　one　in　the　street　having　recognized　him；　the　word　passed；　and　a　great　crowd　cheered　him　as　he　came　out。　Telling　his　sister　of　the　occurrence；　he　said；　〃And　they　soon　will　be　throwing　rotten　apples　at　me！〃
  CHAPTER　XXI。　WHICH　WAS　THE　REPUBLICAN　PARTY？
  Did　those　words　of　Roosevelt　spring　from　his　sense　of　humorhumor　which　recognizes　the　topsy…turvy　of　life　and　its　swift　changes；　and　still　laughsor　from　the　instinct　which　knows　that　even　in　the　sweetest　of　all　experiences　there　must　be　a　drop　of　bitterness？　Whatever　their　cause；　they　proved　to　be　a　true　foreboding。　He　had　not　been　home　twenty　four　hours　before　he　perceived；　on　talking　with　his　friends；　that　the　Republican　Party　during　his　absence　had　drifted　far　from　the　course　he　had　charted。　〃His　policies〃　had　vanished　with　his　control；　and　the　men　who　now　managed　the　Administration　and　the　party　regarded　him；　not　merely　with　suspicion；　but　with　aversion。
  To　tell　the　story　of　this　conflict　is　the　disagreeable　duty　of　the　historian　of。　that　period；　especially　if　he　have　friends　and　acquaintances　on　both　sides　of　the　feud。　There　are　some　facts　not　yet　known；　there　are　others　which　must　be　touched　upon　very　delicately　if　at　all；　and；　in　the　main；　so　much　of　the　episode　grew　out　of　personal　likes　and　dislikes　that　it　is　hard　to　base　one's　account　of　it　on　documents。　In　trying　to　get　at　the　truth；　I　have　been　puzzled　by　the　point…blank　contradictions　of　antagonistic　witnesses；　whose　veracity　has　not　been　questioned。　Equally　perplexing　are　the　lapses　of　memory　in　cases　where　I　happen　to　have　seen　letters　or　documents　written　at　the　time　and　giving　real　facts。　The　country　would　assuredly　have　been　alarmed　if　it　had　suspected　that；　during　the　years　from　1909　to　1912；　the　statesmen　who　had　charge　of　it；　were　as　liable　to　attacks　of　amnesia　as　they　proved　to　be　later。
  The　head　and　front　of　the　quarrel　which　wrecked　the　Republican　Party　must　be　sought　in　Roosevelt's　thoroughly　patriotic　desire　to　have　a　successor　who　should　carry　on　the　principles　which　he　had　fought　for　and　had　embodied　in　national　laws　during　the　nearly　eight　years　of　his　Presidency。　He　felt　more　passionately　than　anybody　else　the　need　of　continuing　the　work　he　had　begun；　not　because　it　was　his　work；　but　because　on　it　alone；　as　he　thought；　the　reconciliation　between　Capital　and　Labor　in　the　United　States　could　be　brought　about；　and　the　impending　war　of　classes　could　be　prevented。　So　he　chose　Judge　Taft　as　the　person　who；　he　believed；　would　follow　his　lead　in　this　undertaking。　But　the　experience　of　a　hundred　and　ten　years；　since　Washington　was　succeeded　by　John　Adams；　might　have　taught　him　that　no　President　can　quite　reproduce　the　qualities　of　his　predecessor　and　that　the　establishment　of　a　Presidential　dynasty　is　not　congenial　to　the　spirit　of　the　American　people。　Jefferson　did；　indeed；　hand　on　his　mantle　to　Madison；　and　the　experiment　partially　succeeded。　But　Madison　was　much　nearer　Jefferson　in　ability　and　influence　than　Judge　Taft　was　near　Roosevelt。
  During　the　campaign　of　1908；　and　immediately　after　the　election；　we　can　imagine　that　Mr。　Taft　was　sincerely　open　to　Roosevelt's　suggestions；　and　that　he　quite　naturally　gave　Roosevelt　the　impression　that　he　intended　to　follow　them；　not　because　they　were　Roosevelt's；　but　because　they　were　his　own　also。　As　soon　as　he　began　to　realize　that　he　was　President；　and　that　a　President　has　a　right　to　speak　and　act　on　his　own　motion；　Mr。　Taft　saw　other　views　rising　within　him；　other　preferences；　other　resolves。　From　the　bosom　of　his　family　he　may　have　heard　the　exhortation；　〃Be　your　own　President；　don't　be　any　body's　man　or　rubber　stamp。〃　No　doubt　intimate　friends　strengthened　this　advice。　The　desire　to　be　free　and　independent；　which　lies　at　the　bottom　of　every　normal　heart；　took　possession　of　him　also；　further；　was　it　not　the　strict　duty　of　a　President　to　give　the　country　the　benefit　of　his　best　judgment　instead　of　following　the　rules　laid　down　by　another；　or　to　parrot　another's　doctrines？
  Whatever　may　have　been　the　process　by　which　the　change　came；　it　had　come　before　Taft's　inauguration。　He　chose　a　new　Cabinet；　although　Roosevelt　supposed　that　several　of　the　members　of　his　Cabinet　would　be　retained。　Before　the　Colonel　started　for　Africa　he　felt　that　a　change　had　come；　but　he　went　away　with　the　hope　that　things　would　turn　out　better　than　he　feared。　His　long　absence　under　the　Equator　would　relieve　any　anxiety　Taft　might　have　as　to　Roosevelt's　intention　to　dictate　or　interfere。
  Very　little　political　news　reached　the　Colonel　while　he　was　hunting。　On　reaching　Italy；　on　his　return　journey；　he　met　Mr。　Gifford　Pinchot；　who　had　come　post…haste　from　New　York；　and　conveyed　to　him　the　latest　account　of　the　political　situation　at　home。　It　was　clear　that　the　Republican　Party　had　split　into　two　factions…the　Regulars；　who　regarded　President　Taft　as　their　standard…bearer；　and　the　Insurgents；　who　rallied　round　Roosevelt；　and　longed　desperately　for　his　return。　To　the　enemies　of　the　Administration；　it　seemed　that　Mr。　Taft　had　turned　away　from　the　Rooseveltian　policies。　In　his　appointments　he　had　replaced　Roosevelt　men　by　Regulars。　His　Secretary　of　the　Interior；　Mr。　Ballinger；　came　into　conflict　with　Mr。　Pinchot　over　conservation；　and　the　public　assumed　that　the　President　was　not　only　unconcerned　to　uphold　conservation；　but　was　willing　that　the　natural　resources　of　the　Nation　should　fall　again　into　the　hands　of　greedy　private　corporations。　This　assumption　proved　to　be　false；　and　Secretary　Ballinger　was　exonerated　by　a　public　investigation；　but　for　two　years；　at　least；　the　cloud　hung　over　Mr。　Taft's　reputation；　and；　as　always　happens；　the　correction　being　far　less　nimble　than　the　accusation；　took　a　much　longer　time　in　remedying　the　harm　that　it　had　done。
  When；　therefore；　Roosevelt　landed　at　the　Battery　on　June　18；　1910；　the　day　of　his　apotheosis；　he　knew　that　a　factional　fight　was　raging　in　the　Republican　Party。　His　trusty　followers；　and　every　one　who　bore　a　grudge　against　the　Administration；　urged　him　to　unfurl　his　flag　and　check　any　further　disintegration；　but　prudence　controlled　him　and　he　announced　that　he　should　not　speak　on　political　matters　for　at　least　two　months。　He　was　sincere；　but　a　few　days　later　at　the　Harvard　Commencement　exercises　he　met　Governor　Hughes；　of　New　York　State；　who　was　waging　a　fierce　struggle　against　the　Machine　to　put　through　a　bill　on　primary　elections。　The　Governor　begged　the　Colonel　as　a　patriotic　boss…hating　citizen；　to　help　him；　and　Roosevelt　hastily　wrote　and　dispatched　to　Albany　a　telegram　urging　Republicans　to　support　Hughes。　In　the　result；　his　advice　was　not　heeded；　a　straw　which　indicated　that　the　Machine　no　longer　feared　to　disregard　him。
  For　several　weeks　Roosevelt　waited　and　watched；　and　found　out　by　personal　investigation　how　the　Republican　Party　stood。　It　took　little　inspection　to　show　him　that　the　Taft　Administration　was　not　carrying　out　his　policies；　and　that　the　elements　against　which　he　had　striven　for　eight　years　were　creeping　back。　Indeed；　they　had　crept　back。　It　would　be　unjust　to　Mr。　Taft　to　assert　that　he　had　not　continued　the　war　on　Trusts。　Under　his　able　Attorney…General；　Mr。　George　W。　Wickersham；　many　prosecutions　were　going　forward；　and　in　some　cases　the　legislation　begun　by　Roosevelt　was　extended　and　made　more　effective。　I　speak　now　as　to　the　general　course　of　Mr。　Taft's　Administration　and　not　specially　of　the　events　of　1910。　In　spite　of　this　continuation　of　the　battle　with　the　Octopusas　the　Big　Interests；　Wall　Street；　and　Trusts　were　indiscriminately　nicknamedthe　public　did　not　believe　that　Mr。　Taft　and　his　assistants　pushed　the　fight　with　their　whole　heart。　Perhaps　they　were　misjudged。　Mr。　Taft　being　in　no　sense　a　spectacular　person；　whatever　he　did　would　lack　the　spectacular　quality　which　radiated　from　all　Roosevelt's　actions。　Then；　too；　the　pioneer　has　deservedly　a　unique　reward。　Just　as　none　of　the　na